Waste disposal has many negative effects on the environment, including the emission of gasses which contribute to global warming and affect the quality of the air we breathe in. Much of the waste that is produced in Canada comes from commercial sources. It is the corporate social responsibility of every business to play its part in reducing waste.
Here are some of the ways your company can accomplish waste reduction:
A waste audit is a methodical process that you can use to figure out how much waste your office is producing and where this waste is coming from. The information gathered from the audit can then be used to reduce the amount of waste you generate.
When conducting a waste audit, waste is collected and sorted by category so that it can be analyzed. If you have a large office, you may want to audit different areas or departments separately.
You will not be able to know exactly how much waste you are producing if you do not measure it. So, ask your waste removal company to weigh your garbage. When you have the figures, calculate how much waste is produced per day or per person.
Share these results and make waste reduction a tangible target for all workers. You may even create challenges and competitions between employees or departments. This is a great way to get employees excited about waste reduction.
Encourage employees to ditch their disposable plastic water bottles. In their place, ensure that your employees will still have easy access to purified water by installing water filters and providing glasses or reusable water bottles for employees to use. While you’re at it encourage employees to eliminate plastic straws as well.
With advances in technology there are cheaper and better alternatives to using paper in your office. If possible, turn your business into a paperless operation. If you are not able to go completely paperless, you can significantly reduce the amount of waste you produce by printing only when absolutely necessary. For example, instead of printed reports and memos, opt for digital versions.
You may have employees who are passionate about preserving the earth’s resources. If so, why not ask them to use that passion to help make your office a more environmentally friendly space by joining a waste reduction team. This team will help identify the waste issues plaguing your office and will help to find ways to address these problems. Team members will also serve as influencers, helping other employees to adopt practices that encourage waste reduction and other habits that will help reduce your carbon footprint.
For more info, visit our guide on setting up an office recycling and composting program.
After you have limited the amount of waste you produce in your office, you should recycle that which you were not able to eliminate. Growing City can help you implement or improve your recycling and composting programme.
By using our service, you can responsibly reduce your waste by up to 40 percent or more. Our services offer you tangible green initiatives that you can participate in every day. We provide comprehensive recycling services which are combined with complimentary introductory presentations and educational workshops.
We will do all the hard work so that recycling and composting will be easy for you to do. So, what are you waiting for? Call us today and let us help you make the world a better place through waste reduction.